


Endless Orange

by Golden_Asp



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Amnesia, Bingo Fill, M/M, Sacrifice, hard to tag, not really relationship heavy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 09:51:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18444119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_Asp/pseuds/Golden_Asp
Summary: The universe doesn't remember.But Stephen does.





	Endless Orange

**Author's Note:**

> for the ironstrange bingo square 'amnesia', only definitely not in the traditional sense. Just a super short idea that I threw together. 
> 
> not beta-ed

Tony stares across the empty landscape, ripples around his feet. The gauntlet on his arm burns, heavy with the burden of wearing it. He knows where he is. 

He turns, eyes locked on the shape in the distance. He starts to walk, dreading and welcoming what would meet him when he reached the end. A shape takes form in the endless orange, a roof and pillars and a man he at once barely knows and knows all too well standing under it.

“Hello, Anthony,” Stephen Strange says, staring at him with unfathomable eyes.

Tony swallows, clenching the fist wearing the gauntlet. He should call him Strange. But he doesn’t. 

“Stephen.”

“So, you did it.”

“Yeah.”

They stand shoulder to shoulder, staring out over the empty expanse.

“It’s not done yet,” Tony whispers.

“I know.”

They both know what will happen once Stephen leaves the Soul Stone. He us the last, and he had waited for Tony here.

“I am so sorry,” Stephen whispers.

“So am I.”

They are silent.

“They…they won’t remember, will they?” Tony asks, his voice small.

“No,” Stephen replies softly. “They won’t.”

“Maybe it’s for the best that way,” Tony says, taking a deep breath. 

It wasn’t, but they both know there’s no other way.

“I will remember,” Stephen says, resting a shaking hand on Tony’s shoulder. 

Tony looks at him, tears in his eyes.

There’s nothing more they can say. Stephen crushes Tony to him in a hug and the two stand there, arms tight around the other, neither mentioning the tears rolling down their faces.

“Take care of them for me,” Tony says, stepping back.

“I will.”

Tony takes another step back, and another, and another, before turning his back to Stephen. Stephen watches the smaller man take a deep breath and straighten his shoulders out.

His last view of Tony Stark is the man walking away, eventually fading to endless orange.

:::

The universe sets itself right, but nothing is the same.

Not for Stephen.

He watches them move on, rebuild their lives.

Everything is different, but nothing really changed. 

The universe moves on, and only Stephen remembers the cost.

Stephen holds the truth close to his heart. He will always remember, even though the rest of the universe does not.

He sets up a shrine in his room. He talks to him, some days, although he knows there will never be an answer. Not in this dimension, not in any other dimension.

Peter sees it one day, frowning as he looks at Iron Man’s helmet. His eyes rake over the small shrine, the name etched into the armor.

“Doctor Strange?”

“Yes, Peter?” Stephen asks.

“Who is Tony Stark?”

The universe doesn’t remember him.

But Stephen does.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are love.
> 
> I hope this made sense. Tony reset the timeline but had to erase himself to save everyone.


End file.
